The present invention relates to a vise jaw, or jaw plate, which has magnetic inserts imbedded therein that are used for securing in place vice parallels, which are used for orienting and holding workpieces to be clamped in a vise.
In the past, the holding of parallel bars used for workpiece supports in place in a vise when a workpiece is to be clamped has been primarily by mechanical devices that hold the parallels against the jaw or jaw plates. U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,997 shows such a parallel holder device using telescoping tubes for holding the parallels against the clamping surfaces.
Additionally, an earlier device for holding parallels in place is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,856.
Magnetic parallels, in which magnets are placed into the parallels themselves are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,515. Also, jaw pads that include magnets have been used as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,511.
Performance Tooling, Inc. of Grand Rapids, Mich., has made aluminum magnetic parallels that are sold in sets, using a thin magnetic strip running along the length of the aluminum parallel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,643 shows a magnetic hold-down tool which is used in connection with a workpiece and a vise but which has magnets that hold it into position on the vise jaw.
Most machine shops will have a wide variety of metal parallels already purchased, and the present invention makes the use of these standard parallels easier by securing them in place on the vise clamping surface.
The present invention relates specifically to vise jaws or jaw plates having magnets in them, so the jaw clamping surfaces can support metal parallel surface workpiece supports or xe2x80x9cparallelsxe2x80x9d. A magnet is positioned in a hole or bore extending inwardly through the clamping surface. Preferably, a hole is provided in a jaw plate with a magnet in the hole and carried with the jaw plate. Only one magnet needs to be used because it will be in a position where the workpiece support or parallel that is held can be forced down against the guideways of the vise and held in position positively by the magnetic insert in the jaw plate itself. The jaw plate can have the conventional openings for mounting screws that hold the jaw plate on the vise jaw. More than one magnet can be used if desired.
Preferably, the magnets are permanent ceramic discs, that are surrounded by conformable non-magnetic sleeves that will permit a press-fit into a bore in the metal jaw or jaw plate.
Magnetic insert jaw plates can be used on single jaw vises, or double jaw vises as desired, and can be used on both fixed and movable jaws.
Wherever jaw plates are used, including multiple clamp assemblies, the magnetic insert jaw plate can be placed.